As you read this, we are on a Viking Riverboat afloat on the Mississippi. We have cruised the Bahamas and Hawaii and parts of Mexico, but never on a river in the heartland of the United States. But this spring, Nancy said she’d like to do a river cruise and visit New Orleans, so here we are.
The Mississippi is a big piece of water. It makes the James River look like a brook trout stream. It begins with a trickle in Minnesota and powers its way to the Gulf Coast. It drains about 1/8 of all the land in North America. At 2,340 miles, it is the 4th longest river in the world. A mile and a half wide from bank to bank, it is a river forged in tradition and remains an important piece to the economic puzzle in America. The river traffic is almost as busy as I-85 on a holiday weekend. It remains a productive way to transport goods from north to south. Chunky boats pushing a half dozen 100-yard barges pass by throughout the day and night.
Named “The Father of Waters” by the Algonquian Indians, the depth of the Mississippi can vary by as much as 35 feet, depending on the weather. Over the centuries, the swollen river has deposited rich soil along its banks making for some of the most fertile land in the world. Cities and ports up and down the river continue to draw residents and commerce.
Our cruise begins in New Orleans. We will be pushing north and exploring the lower part of the Mississippi, traveling as far as Vicksburg, then south again back to New Orleans. The tourists and barges come and go, but the Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along.
